


Who Was Your Favorite Teacher? Mine Was Jenny Jones

by Adekt



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 18:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11606727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adekt/pseuds/Adekt
Summary: The plan was for Nicole and Waverly to get to know each with a light hearted game of 20 questions. Waverly finally realizes she has some one who truly cares. In the past Champ could care less and Wynonna had her own struggles, so how could she notice Waverly's? Prompted by Tales of the Black Badge interview with Dom. I obviously took some liberties.





	Who Was Your Favorite Teacher? Mine Was Jenny Jones

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a long time since I’ve written anything. It used to so easy for me but these days it seems I’m dust scattered by the winds. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my attempt at our favorite couple getting to know each other. This was written because of something Dom said in one of first interview. I, of course, took some extra liberties.
> 
> The disclaimer: I own nothing of Wynonna Earp created by Beau Smith and watched by all on SySy.

As soon Nicole’s shift had ended that afternoon she hurried home to gather ingredients for this evening's dinner of expensive wine and eggplant parmesan, since, to her chagrin, being vegan was quickly becoming a thing now. The things she’ll do for love. Tonight, was about getting to know each other. At the moment Nicole could barely believe her wondrous luck as her girlfriend, one Waverly Earp, snuggled into her side with her head on her shoulder and an arm wrapped loosely around her waist. Her tiny frame seemed to fit against her so perfectly. 

Now they sat relaxing on the coach asking silly, simple questions like “what’s your favorite color?” Nicole didn’t hesitate to describe a color she realized she didn’t have an actual name for, “Orange. Not pumpkin orange, mind you. It’s the kind of orange you see as the sun goes down over the horizon it intertwines with shades of red and yellow. Do you what I’m talking? It’s bright, shiny and…I don’t know, it feels hopeful some how.”

“Baby, you just describe burnt umber”, Waverly says as she tilts her head upward and guides Nicole’s chin to her with the feather light touch of her finger tips into a kiss. Nicole always in awe asked, “Burnt umber, huh? Waves, how do you know so much about so much?”

“I hope I don’t sound like a know-it-all. Those people are super annoying.”

“No, Baby, you just sound like someone with so much passion for everything. Okay”, Nicole placed a quick kissed Waverly’s forehead, “so now it’s my turn…who was your favorite teacher? Mine was Jenny Jones.” 

“Jenny Jones, seriously? Sounds like a stripper’s name.”

“Now that I really think about it I don’t think you are that far off the mark. God, I was so infatuated with Ms. Jennifer Jones. Probably my first. She was just super,” Nicole said as she brought her hands up animatedly in front of her chest. It was a very Wynonna thing to do which probably means the two women spent way too much time together. After a moment, she continued to speak dreamily, “creative! She was my Junior High art teacher. Man, Jenny Jones…I haven’t thought about her in such a long time. My love for…art was an enlightenment of sorts. Because of Ms. Jones I started to realize I actually liked girls in a way most girls like boys.”

“Your love for art, huh? I bet it was art you were in love with and nothing at all to do with tits and ass”, Waverly said sarcastically.

“Okay, Okay but in my defense of teenaged hormones Jenny Jones was a very sexy young woman back then. She should have been a super model instead of being tortured by idiot prepubescent teenaged boys.”

“Nope, none of those at Purg High. Too bad because I could have used some enlightenment instead of making out with Champ Hardy under the bleacher during a Purg High basketball game. But in my defense, that was better than watching Purg lose their 25th game in a row. I mean really, not a single point in like three years.”

Nicole cut her off with a kiss. Breaking a way, she whispered, “Now that you know about my secret infatuation with Ms. Jones tell me about yours. Who, Ms. Earp, was your favorite teacher?” A look came over Waverly’s face. She seemed to be at war with herself over something that was supposed to be pure fun, “Waves, you okay?”

“Yea, Baby, I’m fine. It’s just”, Waverly seemed to have to compose herself by taking in a deep breath. Eventually she continued, “I never expected my telling you about Mrs. Debnik to be so hard.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything, babe. I can tell there’s something going on but it's too hard for you to talk about, that’s okay.”

“No no, I want to tell you. I want you to know every part of me and this is actually a pretty big part. It’s just that I’ve never told anyone this. Champ could’ve cared less and Wynonna had her own things going on.” Nicole sat up a little straighter. She felt that she needed to be able to look Waverly in the eyes as she shared this obviously painful and emotional part of herself. She had no idea this round of 20 questions would turn so serious. Usually something like this between them would be light-hearted with lots of laughter and drunken love making.

As Nicole looked Waverly in the eyes she whispered again, “can you tell me about Mrs. Debnik?”

Waverly nodded her head as she took a moment to look into Nicole’s soft loving eyes before speaking, “Mrs. Debnik saved me. She really did. Today you see me as ‘knowing so much about so much.’ But it wasn’t always like that for me. You know, growing up I never thought I’d read a book from cover to cover in English let alone Latin text.”

Nicole waited patiently as Waverly visibly struggled. Eventually Waverly did continue knowing for probably the first time in her life she had someone she could fully and confidently trust. She had someone who cared, “Anyway, things were so freaking difficult. Daddy and Willa were gone leaving Wynonna to deal with the aftermath. Mama didn’t stick around long enough for me to even remember her, it was a lot, you know. By that time Gus and Curtis had taken me in. They did their best. They treated me like a daughter but…I struggled a lot in school. I just didn’t do well at all. Most of my teachers just chalked it up to my being an Earp. Not much ever came out being an Earp.”

“But not Mrs. Debnik. What did she see, Waves?” Nicole asked softly.

“Well, Mrs. Debnik didn’t just see a quiet little girl who refused to participate in school activities. She saw a terrified little girl who kept herself very isolated so she wouldn’t be noticed, too afraid and too embarrassed to get involved. You know Mrs. Debnik studied me…I mean my schoolwork. She was the only teacher who knew I turned in every assignment and studied for hours every day. I nearly lived in the library. Buuuut even after all that I was failing…everything. I hated that feeling…failure,” Waverly took in a steading breath as Nicole waited with the patience of a Saint. 

Waverly continued lacking her usual confidence, “I believed because of my family I would never succeed at anything. I wasn’t a proud Earp because I was destined to fail at life. Sorry to say I was ashamed of my last name. It was expected by this entire town that I would be yet another Earp just sitting in Shorty’s wrecked and whiskey soaked eating their weight in donuts. Everything leads to the Earp family tree”, Waverly stopped talking and let out a small laugh at this statement. Nicole knew this was a difficult subject. Waverly struggled every day with who she is and trying to discover her true family tree if not actually an Earp. She had no words but showed her support by pulling Waverly into a gentle hug, “tell more, Baby.”

Waverly pulled out of the light embrace to give Nicole a soft dimpled smile, “Mrs. Debnik eventually had me come to her during office hours to give me tests. I don’t think I’ve ever taken so many tests or written so many damned essays. Keep in mind I have degrees in three languages.”

“So, my genius little cinnamon roll, what was the result of those many tests and essays?”

“Have you ever heard of dysgraphia?” Waverly asked softly barely above a whisper. Nicole just shook her head once. She had not heard of dysgraphia but it sounded ominous. 

“Basically, Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write. When Mrs. Debnik studied my school work from the beginning, she really looked at it. It wasn’t just messing handwriting she saw. Apparently, I had a hard time unscrambling my thoughts to write them down. I left out words...important words, had atrocious spelling and punctuation, and had so many incomplete thoughts. When she watched me, she noticed that I had to say the words out loud in order to write them. On top of all that I would get these crazy headaches and I would actually get motion sick from reading. There were just a lot of little things that stood out to her. Even the way I gripped my pen was a signal. But, back then I had no idea what it all really meant. I just felt another stupid kid. Of course, I, Waverly Earp, had a miss-wired brain. How could I ever expect to have a normal one? Oh, you can also toss in a small case of dyslexia while we’re at it. Yaaay!”

“You know Waverly, if you hadn’t told me any of this I would have never guessed. Hell, I felt in over my head while studying for my one degree in criminal justice and that was completely in English.” For now, Nicole left out the fact she was in her own online Master’s program with the University of Maryland. “So, after Mrs. Debnik told you what the problem was what happened next?”

“Well, I was put in a Special Ed program which was super embarrassing to admit to back then. Mrs. Debnik brought in a specialist to work with me. They agreed to do summer school and even brought in Gus. Which helped so much because I had no idea I needed that kind of support at home, too. I had to do some crazy exercises. There was this one where I had to draw each letter of the alphabet in the air with my arm,” Waverly demonstrated this by swinging her fully extended arm around drawing the letter ‘a’, “but as silly as it was it worked. Mrs. Debnik also gave me this micro tape recorder. I still use to this day. Slowly, things started making more sense. I began reading on my own and actually enjoying it. It was an amazing feeling. You take that kind freedom for granted. Mind you, I was reading mostly things like Dr. Suess and Where the Sidewalk Ends but I was comprehending, understanding on the next level. We even watched movie adaptations while reading the book. Please don’t judge me but I especially enjoyed Anne of Green Gables and Harry Potter. Nicole, I can’t even describe to you the feeling of being able to really learn for the first time and not having to struggle so hard with every single thing in life. It took a while, years actually, but by the time the next school year started my grades started to improve and I actually wanted to join in. By the time high school rolled around I already had one the highest GPAs.” 

“What about now?”

“After a dozen years or so not much any more. I do still get headaches and the occasional case of the dizzies especially when I’m overly tired and sometimes I can be a little slow to understand but the things Mrs. Debnik taught me have always stuck. Besides, I’m pretty good at hiding it when there is something I’m stuck on. You know, I don’t even know if Wynonna knows any of this. She used to help me with my reading. I know she loved me even though I also know she got super frustrated. I don’t blame her because how could she possibly know if I didn’t even know?”

“Waverly, I don’t have enough words. Thank you for trusting me. You are completely and totally amazing. I hope you know that.” Nicole drew Waverly into a passionate kiss trying to make sure she felt every ounce of love she had to offer.  
**************************************************  
It was another late-night research session in the Purgatory Black Badge offices. This meant leaving Waverly Earp, the resident Ghost River Triangle expert, alone to pour over the seemingly endless amount of ancient text. 

Nicole, although not a BBD Agent, made it a point to stop in and observe. She was after all an accepted honorary member. Silently from the door she loved watching her girlfriend as she read from books no one knew existed. Tonight, the Purgatory Officer started noticing small gestures Waverly was making from the roll of her neck to the slight squint. Nicole knew it meant a headache was taking hold and she was struggling. As hard as Waverly tried to hide what was going on it was obvious to the Officer and now it was her job to save her.

Before making a move toward her tiny adorable unicorn she found Wynonna inhaling a powdered donut in one bite. “Hey, Wynonna.”

“Officer Haughtie. What brings you to the side of the municipal building?”

Nicole gestured to Waverly, “I’m saving your sister from herself. She needs a break and is to stubborn to admit she has a migraine.” 

“You have literally been here 5 seconds and you can tell all that.”

“What can say, Wynonna? That’s my job. I’m taking her home for a while, get her to eat left overs, get her hydrate, and hopefully get her to nap. If she’s sick she’s no good to you.”

Wynonna looked over at her baby sister. She watched as Waverly blinked slowly. She was concentrating hard on something and looked as if she couldn’t decipher whatever was on the page. Wynonna looked up at Nicole, “yea, get her out of here for a while. I’ll take care of Dolls while take care of Baby Girl.”

“Thank you, Wynonna”, Nicole said sincerely and patted her lightly on a leather clad shoulder.

The Officer walked up quietly behind the researcher. Waverly had yet to notice her which was just another sign of what Nicole saw. She held out her hand slowly for Waverly to take, “Wave, come with me.”

Upon seeing the hand in her line of sight Waverly looked up at the red-headed wonder before her, “hey, Baby. I can’t. We are at a standstill right now without this translation. I really need to finish this.”

“Baby, you have a migraine and I’m willing to bet that this text is making your world spin. You need a break. I have already told Wynonna. She knows you aren’t feeling well.”

Finally, with a small nod Waverly took the hand in front her not willing to admit she needed the extra support as she stood. How could she be mad at someone who would go out of their way to make sure she’s taken of?

“I promise after I feed you painkillers, leftovers, and tuck you in for a little nap that I will bring you right back to your ancient…” With Waverly tucked snuggling under her chin Nicole picked up the text book. All she could see were pages and pages of squiggly unintelligible encrypted symbols, “I have no idea what language you are even reading.”

“Sumerian…”

“Sumerian, of course. Now come on. The sooner you come with me the sooner I can bring you back.”

“Thank you.”

“For what, Baby.”

“For this. For looking in on me. For caring. For knowing that I was here torturing myself. You know I have no idea what I’m reading right now. I’ve been on that same page for…I don’t know…an embarrassingly long time.”

“well, that is what I’m here for. It’s my duty to look after you if you aren’t going to do it.”

Waverly gave her girlfriend a light slap on the arm, “hush you. Now take home.”


End file.
